Two lynched by angry mobs

 ​Bibinagar (Yadadri-Bhongir): A 33-year-old man was lynched by a mob in Jiyapally under Bibingar mandal on Tuesday night after he was found roaming in the village. The mob resorted to extreme action of beating Nimmala Balakrishna, who hailed from Korremula village under Ghatkesar mandal in Ranga Reddy district, on suspicion of being a thief.

In a separate incident, a 42-year-old man was on Tuesday afternoon thrashed by villagers at Chengal village in Nizamabad district, suspecting him to be a thief after they nabbed him from a mango farm, police said. The victim was admitted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, they said, adding that he was a local person from a neighbouring village. 

The people in villages are panicked over the rumours that a gang of thieves and child abductors were on the prowl. The police said some persons were spreading the rumours on social media.

As for the incident in Jiyapally village, the police said Balakrishna had gone to the village to visit his relative. He drank liquor at his relative’s house. A group of local people confronted him when he was waiting at the bus stop to catch a bus to go back to his village. As he was drunk and spoke incoherently, the villagers thrashed him severely suspecting him to be thief. 

On being informed of the incident, Balakrishna’s relatives arrived in the village. He succumbed to his injuries while being taken back to his village by his relatives. 

On Wednesday morning, along with the kin and villagers of Korramula, family members of Balakrishna brought his dead body to Jiyaguda village. The villagers staged a protest in front of the Gram Panchayat office with the body. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramchandra Reddy along with Assistant Commissioner of Police and the Circle Inspector of Police went to the village and assured Balakrishna’s family members that the suspects would be arrested and punished. 

Clues team was pressed into service to collect evidence. The police appealed to the people not to lend credence to rumours that a gang was on the prowl.  

Meanwhile, the police in Mahbubnagar, Khammam and Nalgonda district appealed to the people not to lend credence to rumours being spread on social mediate that a gang of thieves and child abductors were on the prowl.